RICHMOND, Va. –
Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen honored the service and sacrifice of men and women of the Armed Forces Nov. 11, 2024, at ceremonies across the Virginia in honor of Veterans Day.
At the Commonwealth’s Veterans Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, U.S. Army Gen. Gary M. Brito, Training and Doctrine Command Commanding General, was the keynote speaker, and Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, also delivered remarks. The Troutville-based 29th Infantry Division Band provided ceremonial music, and members of the Virginia Defense Force volunteered their time to parking assistance.
The Pulket family was recognized as the Virginia War Memorial’s Military Family of the Year. Second Lt. Ethan Pulket, a VNG Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, is fourth generation military service and fourth generation 29th Infantry Division, with both of his parents serving in the Army National Guard and the division.
Pulket’s family includes 20 veterans totaling 307 years of service, including duty in World War II, Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo in all three components of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Within the Army National Guard, Pulket’s family members served in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia and South Dakota as well as National Guard Bureau. Read about the Pulket family at https://vngpao.info/2va8fy8x
Ring recognized Veterans Day as an opportunity to pay tribute to the men and women who served the nation and the Commonwealth of Virginia with courage, commitment and unwavering dedication.
“Virginia’s veterans have a proud history of service, rooted in the earliest days of our country,” he said. “Virginians have answered the call to protect our freedom, to secure liberty and to defend democracy for not only for our country, but for allies and partners around the world. Our veterans have shown us that freedom isn’t simply handed down from one generation to the next, it is preserved through service, sacrifice and selfless acts of courage.”
Ring said that as the Adjutant General of Virginia, he is humbled by the responsibility of serving those who give so much.
“Our veterans and uniformed service members represent the best of Virginia and the best of America,” he said. “Their willingness to place duty above self has shaped our communities, strengthened our military, and protects the principles that define our great commonwealth and nation. So today, let us honor the service of our Veterans and remember the legacies of those who have gone before us.”
Ring thanked the veterans attending the ceremony and also recognized their families.
“We salute you, we honor you, and we pledge to uphold the freedoms that you have safeguarded with your service,” he said.
At Quantico National Cemetery, Brig. Gen. Rusty McGuire, VNG Assistant Adjutant General for Army Strategic Initiatives, shared stories of veterans who made a significant impression on his life and the importance of telling their stories.
“On Veterans Day we talk about all veterans who raise their right hand and take that solemn obligation to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” McGuire said. “We have to continue to tell those stories on Veterans Day and every day to inspire that next generation.”
The 29th Infantry Division Band performed at four different events on Veterans Day including the ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial. The fife and drum group played at Yorktown in the morning of Veterans Day, then in the afternoon in Norfolk. Another group played at a program in Bassett.
Before Veterans Day, the band’s brass group performed the national anthem in Harrisonburg for a James Madison University Women’s Volleyball team military appreciation game Nov. 7 and another military appreciation game for the JMU Women’s Basketball Team Nov. 10. A small group performed a Veterans Day program at the Veterans Hospital in Richmond, and the ceremonial band performed at the Roanoke Valley Veterans Day Parade Nov. 9 in Roanoke. The brass group also played at the 116th Regimental Muster Nov. 9 in Staunton.